Famous Georgia State stool set to return in NCAA Tournament

Georgia State coach Ron Hunter will make another trip to the NCAA Tournament this week, and his famous stool is coming with him. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Three years ago, Ron Hunter coached Georgia State past Baylor in the NCAA Tournament, pulling off one of the better upsets that March. Yet it wasn’t that shocking win that brought him national recognition — it was his stool.

Down two seconds points to the Bears with just seconds on the clock, Hunter’s son R.J. heaved up a three at the buzzer. As it drops, Hunter can be seen in the background flying off his stool onto the ground in celebration.

Hunter — who was only restricted to the stool after tearing his Achilles the week prior celebrating their Sun Belt tournament title — had quickly created one of the most iconic moments of the opening weekend of that NCAA Tournament.

Now, three seasons later, Hunter and his famous stool are set to make another appearance in the NCAA Tournament when Georgia State takes on Cincinnati on Thursday in Nashville.

Hunter hasn’t been able to escape the legend of that stool ever since Georgia State’s win against the Bears. So naturally, he’s embracing it.

“Whether I’m in the airport in L.A. or New York, when you mention Georgia State two things happen,” Hunter told USA Today. “They mention R.J., and they mention (me falling off) that stool.”

While he knows the odds aren’t in his favor to knock off a No. 2 seed in Nashville, Hunter said he isn’t counting his squad out. After all, he’ll have the stool with him — and that’s already worked in March once.

“What college athletics should be about is what’s happening here at Georgia State, not all this FBI stuff and all this other stuff,” he said. “It’s about these guys right here that eat at McDonald’s. They told us today Cincinnati gets to stay at the Hyatt, we have to stay at Comfort Inn. Cincinnati gets to eat at Ruth’s Chris, and we gotta eat at Wendy’s, but when it comes Friday at 2 o’clock we’re going to be ready to play. I guarantee you that.”